HelleVision

HelleVision Day 12: Malcolm in the Middle, “Halloween Approximately!” (2000)

This is such an underrated show. Everybody loves Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad – and they should! He was tremendous as Walter White, but we must not forget his amazing turn as Hal on Malcolm in the Middle, and today, I watched an episode from their second season, “Halloween Approximately!”

Ah, but here’s the rub. Really, this is not a Halloween episode. See, Halloween had already passed by for Malcolm and his brothers. They just did boring old trick or treating because oldest brother, Francis, got in trouble at his military school and wasn’t home in time to go out and have a prank night. But when Francis does make it home the following week, he brings the Halloween spirit with him.

“As long as you carry the spirit of destruction and vandalism in your hearts – every day is Halloween.”

The brothers set up a giant sling shot on top of their house to his targets with all kinds of junk from afar. The perfect crime. All is great until they hit Malcolm’s nerdy friends – who decide to fight back with an even better sling shot, taking down the boys, their weapon, and any hope of getting off the roof clean.

Meanwhile Hal was pestered by a guy speeding down their road, so in the end he and Lois steal the guys muscle car, go for a joy ride, have sex it in, and ditch it in a lake. Yup.

So besides a few references, not really a Halloween show – but there were pranks, some candy, and a costume, so it was close enough.

DID I LAUGH?
Of course.

WAS I SCARED?
I’m thinking of dropping this since it mostly doesn’t apply.

Oh, and I thought it was funny to see Stanley from The Office before he was Stanley from the Office.

That is all.

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